I listened to the Samuel L. Jackson rendition of the new book Go The Fuck To Sleep, and it is funny.
And it is funny for a good reason. Every parent who understands that sleep is important has had to fight with his or her kids to get them to sleep. (If you have never had to fight with your kids to go to sleep, I want to hear your secrets!)
I do not buy the argument that kids know what is best for them. If that were true, human parent/child relations would more closely resemble those of other animals who are cared for until they grow a little, and then run off on their own.
A recent study supports the urge of many parents to get their kids to bed early. Science Daily reports that children who receive less sleep in the pre-school years are more likely to have ADHD symptoms and to be less developmentally advanced. This makes sense to me. If you let a kid stay up one night, they are a disaster the next day. It follows that if you let a kid stay up late every night, their whole lives will turn into disasters.
If you know of good books about getting kids to sleep I would like to hear about them. Post a comment on this blog or on my associated forum.
Early to Bed and Early to Rise Makes a Kid Healthy, Wealthy, and Wise.
comment on the Adventures in Feeding Forum